A bridge over the duck pond at Avalon Park will be a feature of our very important Avalon park for families in the city?? Is this the outcome of the extra effort by council staff to get public feedback ('Avalon Park plans laid out, Hutt News, Oct. 9)?

What fun is in this? How can a short walkway over water ever replace the fort that gave many children and their parents hours of challenging healthy exercise and pleasure.

Hutt City 2012 is a very different place to the town my children and I grew up in. Is the sad truth simply that our council can't find the money from our rates or from sponsors to invest in such a healthy play thing for our future generations but, for example, can spend $2.4 million on soul-less windswept concrete by the Dowse.

Or were we all really so visionless and moribund to speak up when asked. I am as guilty of my own challenge as any other resident, as I said nothing. Though, and not in my defence, I don't recall being consulted.